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Greyskin
It’s the Wild West, but it's wilder than you think...
Discover uncharted territories in this powerful collection of western adventure stories, where settlers who flood into a new continent in search of a better life must confront the indigenous population who call it home.
Follow the journey of a determined young widow who is struggling to keep her farm going, as she must deal not only with the harsh realities of the frontier but also injustices brought by her fellow settlers. Meet a newlywed couple struggling to understand each other and their new life together.
Watch the small town lawman fighting to keep the peace in a land filled with tension and violence. Read the perspective of an academic looking to make his name by documenting the indigenous peoples.
And follow the orc wanderer, watching his people being swept aside by the human settlers, and facing the difficult decision of whether to fight or to assimilate.
Through these disparate but interwoven stories, we see a new mythology of settlement born, old stories told in new ways, a fresh focus on the legends we write for ourselves.
Discover uncharted territories in this powerful collection of western adventure stories, where settlers who flood into a new continent in search of a better life must confront the indigenous population who call it home.
Follow the journey of a determined young widow who is struggling to keep her farm going, as she must deal not only with the harsh realities of the frontier but also injustices brought by her fellow settlers. Meet a newlywed couple struggling to understand each other and their new life together.
Watch the small town lawman fighting to keep the peace in a land filled with tension and violence. Read the perspective of an academic looking to make his name by documenting the indigenous peoples.
And follow the orc wanderer, watching his people being swept aside by the human settlers, and facing the difficult decision of whether to fight or to assimilate.
Through these disparate but interwoven stories, we see a new mythology of settlement born, old stories told in new ways, a fresh focus on the legends we write for ourselves.
244 pages, Hardcover
First published April 26, 2023
4 people are currently reading
30 people want to read
About the author
James Kinsley
4 books29 followersJames Kinsley lives in Thorpe Hamlet. His latest book, It's Hard to Tell You This, a novella of regret, is out now from Deixis Press.
Playtime's Over, his first book, was published in 2021 by Propolis and is about a young man on the edge, struggling to deal with his mental health issues in the face of a world he feels no longer cares.
With Deixis Press, he has published the fantasy western Greyskin and the science-fiction thriller Parallels.
He also publishes sci-fi adventures under the name Ray Adams.
Playtime's Over, his first book, was published in 2021 by Propolis and is about a young man on the edge, struggling to deal with his mental health issues in the face of a world he feels no longer cares.
With Deixis Press, he has published the fantasy western Greyskin and the science-fiction thriller Parallels.
He also publishes sci-fi adventures under the name Ray Adams.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 30, 2023
Book 11. 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
'Greyskin' James Kinsley
A plague is coming....
James Kinsley’s second publication Greyskin, explores concepts of identity and Otherness as well as acknowledging the hangover caused by colonisation and imperialism with a historical fictional approach. Greyskin, labelled a fantasy western, juggles stories of newly arrived settlers and the fate of the indigenous peoples through bludgeoning but exciting stories. Some make you cringe with shame at the human behaviours that haunt our past, whilst some give you hope for the future.
The realism of Kinsley’s collection teaches us lessons about the past, the fantasy allows us enjoy it.
Full review coming @thefantasyhive
Thank you @deixispress for the review copy
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
'Greyskin' James Kinsley
A plague is coming....
James Kinsley’s second publication Greyskin, explores concepts of identity and Otherness as well as acknowledging the hangover caused by colonisation and imperialism with a historical fictional approach. Greyskin, labelled a fantasy western, juggles stories of newly arrived settlers and the fate of the indigenous peoples through bludgeoning but exciting stories. Some make you cringe with shame at the human behaviours that haunt our past, whilst some give you hope for the future.
The realism of Kinsley’s collection teaches us lessons about the past, the fantasy allows us enjoy it.
Full review coming @thefantasyhive
Thank you @deixispress for the review copy
April 30, 2024
I know this is going to be good, Can't wait.. I've read Mr Kinsleys other work and I wasn't disappointed.
Update: After numerous revisits to the marvelous and thought provoking message of hope of a culture indigenous to a home, that sadly is not far from the truth humanity has historically witnessed, an anthology of tales worthy of "The Martian chronicles", "Roots" and "Once upon a time in the west".
The humanity and faith of James Kinsley combined with the mind of Ray Adams, a beautifully imagined work.
Update: After numerous revisits to the marvelous and thought provoking message of hope of a culture indigenous to a home, that sadly is not far from the truth humanity has historically witnessed, an anthology of tales worthy of "The Martian chronicles", "Roots" and "Once upon a time in the west".
The humanity and faith of James Kinsley combined with the mind of Ray Adams, a beautifully imagined work.
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March 21, 2023Yes. I have read this book.
April 10, 2023
This is a very engaging collection of short western style stories, not what I was expecting at all! We get many different characters perspectives on what is happening in their world, we learn that sometimes doing what you think is right can actually lead to you being very wrong because you simply haven’t taken the time to look around you and open your eyes!
The flow of the stories is perfect and the descriptions of the scenery are sure to take you to another place and engage you till the very end!
This was a solid 4 stars for me.
The flow of the stories is perfect and the descriptions of the scenery are sure to take you to another place and engage you till the very end!
This was a solid 4 stars for me.
May 8, 2023
If you look at my shelves you’ll see I’m not really much of a sci-fi fantasy and even less so a reader of westerns. But having read Playtimes over and then being invited to the launch of Greyskin, I gave this a go.
First off, the language and the imagery it uses to set the scene and pulls you in and you soon find yourself engaged and 20 pages in.
It’s made up of several short stories, which enables the reader to take their time to enjoy it. I found myself reading a story, then returning back to it have read others. Each time I’ve picked up something new/different.
The characters are written in a way that you love even the “bad guy”. As you read you develop a sense of knowing this person, even though you’ve only just met.
My favourite is “black dog”, I found myself so invested in the story, that pulls you in from the first paragraph, that I actually missed my bus.
It took me 2 days to read, but only because work and sleep got in the way, such an easy comfortable read, I can’t wait for the sequel (please James?)
First off, the language and the imagery it uses to set the scene and pulls you in and you soon find yourself engaged and 20 pages in.
It’s made up of several short stories, which enables the reader to take their time to enjoy it. I found myself reading a story, then returning back to it have read others. Each time I’ve picked up something new/different.
The characters are written in a way that you love even the “bad guy”. As you read you develop a sense of knowing this person, even though you’ve only just met.
My favourite is “black dog”, I found myself so invested in the story, that pulls you in from the first paragraph, that I actually missed my bus.
It took me 2 days to read, but only because work and sleep got in the way, such an easy comfortable read, I can’t wait for the sequel (please James?)
August 15, 2023
“You and I, our people know and understand what it is to live and die. We see the world for what it is and live our lives accordingly. They, they see the world for what they could make of it and tear it up to rebuild it in their image.”
This was another book where before I started reading I was thinking “eeek, this isn’t what I normally read, am I going to like it?”
I needn’t of worried, James Kinsley is a fantastic writer who draws you in and makes you worry for the characters. I felt real empathy for them and got more than a little anxious during any chase scenes!
I would thoroughly recommend this book, check it out!
This was another book where before I started reading I was thinking “eeek, this isn’t what I normally read, am I going to like it?”
I needn’t of worried, James Kinsley is a fantastic writer who draws you in and makes you worry for the characters. I felt real empathy for them and got more than a little anxious during any chase scenes!
I would thoroughly recommend this book, check it out!
May 25, 2023
This one was a complicated one for me. I loved parts of it, and found the story (or, more correctly, stories, as this is a linked collection) very engaging; but I got quite unsettled by aspects of it. It’s ostensibly about orcs (and other creatures) vs humans; but the orcs read like Native Americans (not a spoiler), with some stereotypical associations, like a connection to the land as well as other things that are, shall we say, very much shaped by Hollywood. In the ARC, the author introduces the book by sort of explaining and kind of excusing this link, which explanation/excuse, after reading the book, I now find unconvincing.
However, taken at face value, this is a wonderful read, well-structured and Western-inspired. It’s more than a little grim for greyskins (a pejorative term in the book for orcs), and humans (coded White people, I suppose) really don’t look so great, making this quite a political book. But all of this is done in a really fun and accessible way, with great use of language and fantasy themes. It’s also really creepy in places; I don’t care for horror, generally, but it’s done really well here, and these elements add to the dark atmosphere. I love how women are depicted, and my favourite character by far is a widowed farmer. So, all of this is great; and if I didn’t feel a bit weird about the associations, I would have loved this book more.
Still, very much recommended. I would love to see what other people think of it, and am curious about whether a sensitivity reader would pick up on anything I’m noting. Fantasy is a great vehicle for exploring relations between “races,” and although it made me think again about who gets to write what, it was a really good read. I very much hope there’ll be more stories set in this world.
Thank you very much to Deixis Press and to NetGalley for the ARC.
However, taken at face value, this is a wonderful read, well-structured and Western-inspired. It’s more than a little grim for greyskins (a pejorative term in the book for orcs), and humans (coded White people, I suppose) really don’t look so great, making this quite a political book. But all of this is done in a really fun and accessible way, with great use of language and fantasy themes. It’s also really creepy in places; I don’t care for horror, generally, but it’s done really well here, and these elements add to the dark atmosphere. I love how women are depicted, and my favourite character by far is a widowed farmer. So, all of this is great; and if I didn’t feel a bit weird about the associations, I would have loved this book more.
Still, very much recommended. I would love to see what other people think of it, and am curious about whether a sensitivity reader would pick up on anything I’m noting. Fantasy is a great vehicle for exploring relations between “races,” and although it made me think again about who gets to write what, it was a really good read. I very much hope there’ll be more stories set in this world.
Thank you very much to Deixis Press and to NetGalley for the ARC.
February 23, 2024
I enjoyed this book from the moment I picked it up and would love to hear more stories from this inventive world.
March 20, 2023
In this captivating collection from James Kinsley, the traditional western genre is reimagined with a fantastical twist: what if orcs shared the frontier with human settlers? This anthology weaves together adventure, fantasy, and an insightful examination of culture and adaptation. Echoing the spirit of iconic westerns, Kinsley explores the lives of diverse characters – from a resilient widow, to a troubled academic, to an orc grappling with his own divided identity.
The heart of GREYSKIN is an exploration of the injustices faced by the indigenous orc population. The author highlights the tension between the human settlers and the native orcs with care, reminding us that both groups have their own ideas about right and wrong, and that they will act on those beliefs. The stories are woven together with finesse, and Kinsley offers a refreshing perspective on the classic western.
The heart of GREYSKIN is an exploration of the injustices faced by the indigenous orc population. The author highlights the tension between the human settlers and the native orcs with care, reminding us that both groups have their own ideas about right and wrong, and that they will act on those beliefs. The stories are woven together with finesse, and Kinsley offers a refreshing perspective on the classic western.
June 6, 2023
I love this book! Its short stories skillfully build a vibrant and fully-realised world. Although I typically gravitate towards action-packed scenes in fantasy novels, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the quieter exchanges between characters were the standout moments for me.
What sets this book apart from others in the genre is the unique blend of fantasy elements with themes of colonization in America. It is a fresh and exciting approach that I haven't encountered before. I sincerely hope the author returns to this world in the future.
What sets this book apart from others in the genre is the unique blend of fantasy elements with themes of colonization in America. It is a fresh and exciting approach that I haven't encountered before. I sincerely hope the author returns to this world in the future.
April 5, 2023
A fantasy novel based on what happened to American Indians when white people arrived in America. Brutally violent as dwarfs, elves, and orcs try to protect themselves from this invasion. Some try to live alongside the whites, even though they are always viewed with suspicion. A few even interact and have mixed-race offspring. The story is well-written but hard to read as the reader must remember individual characters that may or may not appear later. Tough stuff.
Want to read
April 6, 2023 I received an advanced digital copy of this book, courtesy of the author and publisher, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
RTC
RTC
April 30, 2023
Sadly not my kind of read
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews